In the first quarter of 2023, the launch of the Watch Ultimate by Huawei allows the manufacturer to move upmarket on the market of connected watches. The new watch comes close to the giants like the Apple Watch Ultra. This article will tell us if the Watch Ultimate has enough qualities to be better than the Watch Ultra.
Huawei Watch Ultimate stronger thanks to zirconium
The Huawei Watch Ultimate and the Apple Watch Ultra each have a sapphire crystal face and a ceramic back. The case of the Huawei Watch is made of zirconium while the frame of the Apple Watch is made of titanium. The Watch Ultimate stands out with zirconium because this material, usually reserved for the most luxurious watches, is harder and a bit heavier than titanium, and very resistant to corrosion and scratches.
The Watch Ultimate measures 48.5 x 48.5 x 13 mm. Its case weighs 76 g, and with the rubber strap added, the watch reaches almost 100 g. It is more compact and heavier than the Watch Ultra which measures 49 x 44 x 14.4 mm and weighs 61.3 g.
Huawei’s watch is ECG IP68 certified meaning it is water and dust resistant. Its waterproofness goes up to 100 m depth in swimming and diving as the Apple watch. The latter is also resistant to dust certified IP6X.
With all these characteristics, the Huawei Watch Ultimate is more solid and resistant than the Apple Watch Ultra.
The Watch Ultra, a clearer readability than the Watch Ultimate
The Huawei Watch Ultimate sports a round LTPO AMOLED display, while the Watch Ultra is equipped with a Retina LTPO OLED screen. The diagonal of the former is 1.5 inches, smaller than the latter’s 1.92 inches. The screen of the Watch Ultra displays in 502 x 410 pixels. This is better than the screen of the Watch Ultimate which displays in 466 x 466 pixels.
The Watch Ultra has a brightness of 2000 nits. This is twice as powerful as the brightness of the Watch Ultimate. Indeed, Huawei announces a brightness of 1000 nits for its watch. The Apple Watch therefore offers a better display and better readability.
The Watch Ultimate and the Watch Ultra bring touch to the fore
The Watch Ultimate is of course managed by Huawei’s HarmonyOS system. Like the Watch Ultra, navigation on its interface favors touch and also uses crowns and buttons. The Apple Watch Ultra runs on watchOS 9.0, upgradable to 9.4.
To sync the Watch Ultimate with the phone, you need to download the Huawei Health app via a browser (for Android) or the App Store (for iPhone). With the Watch Ultra, three apps are required: Watch (to manage the watch settings), Health (to track all your health data), Fitness (to look at your activities and workouts in detail).
Sensors and Measurement on the Watch Ultimate and Watch Ultra
On both watches, we find the following sensors: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a heart rate monitor, a barometer, a compass, a SpO2, a thermometer (body temperature).
The Watch Ultimate adds to these a BDS satellite message sensor. For its part, the Watch Ultra additionally incorporates an always-on altimeter, VO2max, temperature sensor (water), temperature detection (accuracy of 0.01˚), Depth Gauge (accuracy of ±1 m), Natural Language Commands and dictation (conversation mode) and Ultra Wide Band (UWB) support
We can’t forget to mention that the Huawei watch offers more than 100 different sports activity modes, combined with an excellent voice coach that regularly informs us about our pace, distance traveled and heart rate.
Battery life of the Huawei Watch Ultimate and the Apple Watch Ultra
The Huawei Watch Ultimate’s battery has a capacity of 530 mAh. The watch can last two weeks in normal and tempered use. The fast charging compatible with the Watch Ultimate allows it to refuel in one hour.
The Apple Watch is not known for its autonomy. The manufacturer announces only 36 hours of endurance for the 542 mAh Li-on battery of its Watch Ultra,
Price and availability of the Huawei Watch Ultimate and the Apple Watch Ultra
The Watch Ultimate has been available on the market since the end of March 2023. It was launched at €750 in its Expedition Black version with a rubber strap, and even reaches €900 in the Voyage Blue version with a titanium strap. It is less expensive than the Watch Ultra, which costs € 999. The latter is available since September 23, 2022.
The best between the Watch Ultimate and the Watch Ultra
The Watch Ultimate is suitable for users who are primarily looking for a very solid and resistant watch. It offers sufficient readability and display quality to satisfy. But on these points the Watch Ultra is far ahead. Unfortunately the autonomy of the latter does not plead in its favor. Nevertheless, when it comes to monitoring health and sports activities, users will be equally satisfied with either watch. But the more affordable price of the Watch Ultimate is an additional asset to attract more people.
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